


The Pretender

by ineffablycurious



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Big Bang 2020, Fluff, M/M, Thomas Sanders Storytime Big Bang Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:13:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25767256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ineffablycurious/pseuds/ineffablycurious
Summary: Logan and Roman were stable. And then they weren't. Will they find their footing? Or will they crash and shatter into pieces?
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	The Pretender

**Author's Note:**

> Keep you in the dark  
> You know they all pretend  
> Keep you in the dark  
> And so it all began
> 
> What if I say I'm not like the others?  
> What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?  
> -  
> The Pretender, Foo Fighters
> 
> This was made for the Fander Big Bang 2020. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1:

It was a pleasant day outside; not exactly sunny, but it wasn't a blizzard, and Logan was inside organizing his files. It was the only thing he was allowed to organize without disturbing the important documents about the workers that he didn't really know what they contained. The precinct, if it was a home, would be described as 'lived in.' Captain wasn't one for scents, so he wasn't allowed to burn candles and make the place smell less..musty.

Due to the lack of needing to organize his own desk, he probably hasn't touched his files in several years, and they were gathering dust. He remembered he alphabetized them in the 90's, but, 'new century, new him'. Or, more or less, all of the little crazy names that Roman had come up with late at night when he couldn't sleep usually didn't stick years down the line.

He decided to put the files in chronological order. He flicked one open, which was his first active shooter situation. Ah, the memories. He shut the manilla folder and put it in his 1993 stack. As he went to grab another, Roman burst through the door smelling like chocolate, cigarette smoke, and that amazing smelling cologne he wears. It was originally a welcoming present back in '93 from Becky, Captain Ross' secretary. He'd loved it and it became on their monthly 'pleasantries' shopping list. However, all the smells together smelled awful. There's Roman for you.

"Detective Wilson! Working again, I see," Roman said, voice like sweet molasses.

"Well, that's what you normally do at your workplace, honey" Logan replied as he rolled his eyes. "And you're off to buy food again, because that's all you do."

Roman chuckled and handed him a chocolate doughnut. "Eat, sugar. You need it to function. And don't you dare chastise me about it not being healthy, because Jimmy's Doughnuts are the best in America."

"Can't argue with that. Well, I could, but I wouldn't want to put our relationship in jeopardy. God knows you would kill a man if he said he disliked Jimmy's Doughnuts." he said. He chomped into the fluffy pastry and tried to catch the jelly falling out of it while Roman followed suit and made several noises of enjoyment. 

"You're smart to know that." Roman quipped between bites, chuckling. 

"You learn things over the years." Logan said, as he looked up at the ceiling in a pondering way. Roman chuckled.

"I'll get out of your way, because duty calls, but I'll be back."

"Will you?" Logan asked.

"Quicker than a prairie fire with a tail wind, darling." Roman said, and after a tip of his hat and a shared laugh, Roman went outside. Logan returned to sorting through his files with a smile on his face. 

The secretary poked her head in. "Wow, I'm surprised you two don't hate each other yet."

"Becky, you were at our wedding."

"Yes, and you cried when he said I do. I have my handkerchief that I gave you framed." 

"Fine, maybe I did." he muttered. "What do you need?" 

"Cap says that by Wednesday you need to tell your husband to clean his desk."

"Tell him I'll tell him later. I need to work." 

"You're coming to his birthday party, too."

"But I could be working." 

"Logan Wilson."

"Rebecca Kessler."

She sighed heavily. "Love bird's flying back into the nest. Cover your nose, he was smoking again." 

"Yes, mom," he groaned, rolling his eyes. As she left, Roman entered stage right with a skip in his step. Logan looked up and watched Roman's sunkissed tan hand stub out the cigarette in the ashtray that he kept on his desk and set it in the ashes. 

"Good smoke?" Logan asked, tilting his head, much like a puppy.

"Yes, sweetheart." Roman said, getting settled and typing something into his computer. Logan returned to his file-sorting.

He opened another manilla folder. "Hey, remember the jewelry heist of '94? That was your first mission with me." Logan said, smiling.

"How could I forget? Cap said it was a cold case, but once he put you on the case as well, it was hotter than a big dog on a July day in the middle of Texas. And, of course, the more important matter, the beginning of the biggest case of pining in the entire 90's decade." Roman poked, leaning back into his chair and smiling.

"Hush," Logan warned, setting the manilla folder in the 1994 pile.

"No, you were all 'I admire your work ethic, and I would like to inquire if you are free this Friday to accompany me to an outing to the new restaurant down the way?'" Roman said, in a voice that mimicked Logan's peppy Queens accent and not at all Roman's both southern and lighty Spanish drawl that was dipped in honey.

"I was 20! Give me a break, I was awkward." Logan explained, twiddling his thumbs.

"You took me to a Subway." Roman said, rolling his eyes.

"I was broke! Subway is good!" Logan whined, leaning forward in his chair and slamming a hand on his desk.

Roman smiled and returned to typing. When he stopped, a ping appeared on Logan's computer, from gmail. He opened it. 

_Boss wanted me to send you this file that you never printed. Also, your email is broken because this is my third time typing this. Love you bunches. I'm making fried okra for dinner. File's below the signature._

-Roman 

"Fried okra is an appetizer, honey," Logan said, looking up. Roman chuckled.

"You're gonna need room for the pecan pie, bumblebee," he said, winking. Logan shook his head. 

"Fried okra AND pecan pie? You're turning into your mother."

"Anna Mae Wilson is a good person to turn into and the best gosh darn cook in Texas, so don't you go saying that," Roman said, in a faux-offended tone. They both broke into chuckles.

"You're a hoot!" 

They laughed along and Becky poked her head in yet again, looking a tad annoyed. "You two laugh more than the devil when he's got the best hand in poker. Could you guys, like, hush a bit." 

"Oh, you're just jealous." Logan says, waving her off. "We'll stop." 

"Peace and quiet, finally." she said, and walked off, her heels clicking. Logan sighed and sent the file to his printer on the desk, pulling out a manilla folder to file it. This was last week's armed robbery at the bank on Claremont Street. The perp was known only as D Ryan.

He put that folder in the 2000 pile. 

“Hey Roman, would the New Year's Murders count as 1999 or 2000?”

“I'd say 2000; the investigation started then.”

“But the murders happened before midnight? I don't know. I'll put it in the 2000 pile.” he said, throwing it in. He grabbed several other files and sorted them, one all the way back from 1993 and one as close as yesterday.

The light was turning orange and soon blue. Logan found it particularly annoying that it got dark this early. He wanted more daylight, or as his husband so eloquently called it, 'sunshine and photosynthesis time.'

Once again, Becky came in. "Sarge says you guys can go home, you've had enough hours." 

"Thanks Becks." Logan said, shutting down his computer and standing up, going to get his coat. "You want your coat, honey?"

"Yes, sweetheart." He said, going over and letting Logan help him with it with a kiss on the cheek. 

"Lovebirds." Becky mumbled, shaking her head. "Couldn't live here without them." 

They soon left, Roman at the wheel. One hand steering, the other clasped in Logan's hand. At a stoplight, Roman brought it up and kissed it, saying in his deep voice,

"Darlin, you best clean your plate for that pecan pie."

"Yes, mom." He said, rolling his eyes. But obviously with love. They came together for a smooch and Roman, smiling, returned to driving.

Chapter 2:

November was a chilly month for New York. But inside the Wilson home, it was always warm. 

"Darlin, come and join me on the couch, you clean more often than a mama bakes on a Saturday with 10 mouths to feed." 

"But the house is dirty!" Logan whined, sweeping more furiously with his broom.

"But nothin, sugar, now you come watch the fire flick with me." When Roman called him sugar, he meant business. 

"Fine, and let this place get all dusty." Logan said, dropping the broom and sinking into the couch and mumbling how 'I don't want to watch the fire flick because there's things to do.'

"Got ants in your pants or something?" Roman said, putting his arm around Logan and playing with his hair.

"Maybe." He says, closing his eyes. 

"Well you need to take a break sugarpie, I ain't ever seen someone wash the dishes three times." He said, looking at Logan. He undid his red tie and set it on the coffee table. "We aren't even having guests."

"You want a coffee?" 

"No, It's 6 o'clock at night. I have coffee in the morning." He said, picking his head from Logan's shoulder and pulling out his hair from its bun and letting it fall into his face.

The mood turned tense all of a sudden, as Roman unslung his arm from around Logan's shoulders. 

"Ever just get tired in the middle of the day? And you don't know why, but all you wanna do is sleep?" Roman mumbled, just so Logan could hear." And hot pecan pie doesn't even cheer you up?" Roman finished, staring almost obsessively at the fireplace. 

"No, honey. You feel that way tonight?" Logan asks, looking at him concernedly. "If you need to talk, I'm here, you know." he said, placing his hand on Roman's shoulder.

Roman almost shrugged it away, but seemed to hold it back. "I'm sorry, babe. Not tonight."

With that, he got up and swung his hair around to the other shoulder, and, leaving his stuff on the coffee table, shuffled back to their bedroom.

Logan sat at the couch for a minute, before going back to join him. 

They didn't go to work the next day. It was Sunday. 

Logan remembers the day. Logan had always worked all week, and back in the 90's when Roman joined, he'd always taken Sundays off. And when they got married, Logan started taking Sundays off too. Not because Logan was religious or anything, It was just a thing they did. Maybe just to have a day for them.

"Sunshine, wake up. It’s breakfast. I made cornbread.” Roman whispered, shaking Logan slightly. His sadness from last night was seemingly long gone, replaced with a wide smile and glowing golden hair.

"Is it cold yet?" Logan mumbled. Roman shook his head. Who in their right mind likes cold cornbread?

"Cold in its professions, warm in its friendships." he hummed, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"That still doesn't answer my question." Logan mumbled, pushing his pillow away.

"Half of it's in the refrigerator, sweetheart."

Logan rubbed his eyes and opened them. Roman gave him a kiss on the corner of his mouth and left to set the table. Once Logan got dressed, he joined his husband at the table. 

"You wanna go someplace today?" Roman asked, tilting his head to the side. 

"Why?" Logan asked, biting into his cornbread. 

"Because I can take my dear husband places." Roman said, leaning closer to him and cupping his cheek.

"Really, didn't know he could do that. How did you teach him that one?" He joked, leaning into the touch.

"Lots of pecan pie." He says, chuckling.

"Mind control pecans." Logan mumbled, staring at his chunk of cornbread. Roman giggled.

"You're funny." Roman said through laughter. Logan smiled.

Logan doesn't think much when he's sleepy, and Roman finds it incredibly cute. The wake up mumbling, the droopy eyes, the loopy mind, he loved it. 

Enjoy things when you have them, otherwise you'll never know until they're gone.

Soon enough, Logan has had his coffee and they both bundled up to go. 

"Ready darlin'?"

"Yes, honey." 

Hand in hand, they walked outside and after locking the house, and they chose to walk down the street. Roman put his arm around Logan's back. 

"It's not that cold out today." Logan commented, unfurling his scarf a bit.

"It's above freezing? In November? In Buffalo? Here? The apocalypse is coming, I told you so sugarplum." Roman said, looking around nervously.

"That or climate change." Logan said. "I heard Pennsylvania got a lot less." 

"Shit, what about Vermont?" Roman asked.

"They're buried, as always." Logan says. 

"That's expected. Watch it, dear, light's about to go green." Roman said, holding on to him tightly. 

Logan smiled at him. "Always attentive, you are."

"Well, I try." he says, pushing up Logan's glasses. Logan chuckled. 

They waited for the light to go red in a comfortable silence. Grey clouds rolled in the sky and the ambient sound of traffic filled their ears. 

"I just realized you've never been home to Texas." Roman said, initiating eye contact. "Not even for the wedding."

"Because Anna Mae insisted that they'd all fly here." Logan said. "As long as she cooked, then we told her it wasn't gonna be a big Texas one."

"Yeah, she wasn't real happy. She always wanted a big Texas wedding. Then again, she also wanted another daughter. She loves you though. Sometime we should pay her a visit, it's been years since I've seen her, at least."

"We should. If we can get off work, that is." 

"Always the sensible one." Roman says, starting to walk across the street. Logan followed. 

They made it to Jimmy's Doughnuts eventually. 

"Roman Alexander Wilson! I knew it! Go off and have your big Texas wedding with Jimmy. You're addicted to this place." Logan says, rolling his eyes.

"A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." Roman said, holding the door open for him and waving a hand for him to go in. "Go choose a table, honey. In the bar section." 

Logan rolled his eyes, smiling. "Now you're getting me drunk? You're low." 

"You could still fit a rug under me, darlin'." Roman says, grinning, and following him. 

Logan chose a table for the both of them and a waitress came by. Roman set down a menu, which the waitress eyed. 

"What can I get for you two fine men? Or do you need more time for the menus?" She said, restocking the napkins.

"Trust me, at this point it's like he lives here. He doesn't need the menu. I'll have the good ol' jelly filled." Logan said, handing her a stray fork that had been left.

"Chocolate doughnut with sprinkles, and would you start a tab for whiskey, ma'am? Two please." Roman said.

"Sure thing! Drinks will come first." She said, grabbing the menus, turning, and clicking away on her black flats. 

"You're too country for your own good." Logan commented, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, well at least I ain't addicted to jam." Roman said, smirking.

"Crofters is more than jam!" 

"Whatever you say, sugar." Roman replied.

"You're annoying." Logan sighed. "But I love you." 

"I couldn't live a day without you." Roman replied.

Chapter 3:

They got back at around 11 last night. He remembered it being quite cold- that's right, Roman said he had forgotten to do something.

Maybe Logan sort of regretted drinking last night. On a work night. Like idiots. Roman was in the kitchen trying crazy hacks to cure his hangover, including, but not limited to: eating a raw egg, doing 5000 squats- 'The pain in my thighs will override the pain in my head!', and chugging pickle juice. Logan stuck to good old 'take an aspirin and deal with it'. He buttoned up his shirt and smoothed it; he'd forgotten to iron it after the wash. 

"Junebug, I heard that Puerto Ricans rub limes under their drinking arms to get rid of a hangover. Do we have any?" Roman said, poking his head in.

"Roman, even if we did have limes- I'm making key lime pie tonight, so I do, but I don't think that's how that works." Logan replied.

"Damn it."

"Take an aspirin, you look sick." Logan whined, upset at his husband.

"My legs are killing me."

"Because you did 5000 squats, honey." 

Roman rolled his eyes. "It helped a little, my methods work." 

"Whatever you say, honey," Logan says. "Come in here and get dressed, we're gonna be late for work, and we're going to investigate that construction site accident."

Roman sighed and walked into the bathroom, and Logan went out to the kitchen and pulled two chipped ham sandwiches out of the fridge. Once Roman came back out, he handed him one, which he scarfed down, mumbling "I'm so hungry that I could eat an entire horse, thanks Lolo." Logan rolled his eyes. 

That adorable nickname, he thought, that nickname reminded him of their first date.

_"Hey, you made it, hi, come sit!"_

_Roman looked around, smiling brightly. "Subway? I love Subway!"_

_"Glad you do! Um, hey, you want me to go up to order, or-" Logan said, suddenly very awkward and almost clamming up._

_"We can do it together, if you want?" Roman suggested, awkwardly laughing and pulling a loose strand of hair behind his ear._

_"Uh, yeah, right. Sorry, I'm a bit of an awkward person." Logan almost mumbled._

_"Well don't fret, I like awkward people. I am an awkward people."_

_Roman leaned forward in his seat, placing his elbows on the table, and looking at Logan like he held the world on a string. Logan snorted. "That's such a you thing to say."_

_"So, what brings you to Buffalo? I heard you were newer here." Logan asked._

_They sat and talked for hours. Logan was absolutely attached. Attached to this heartthrob sitting across from him, with his long blonde hair tied in a braid, attached to the feelings he gave him._

_"Lolo, this has been absolutely lovely!"_

_"Well, thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it." Logan said, blushing at the nickname._

_"We should do this again sometime, maybe I could take you to this doughnut place I found!"_

_"That would be amazing. I'll, uh, see you at work?"_

_"See you at work!"_

"Darlin? Earth to Logan Wilson?" Roman said, waving a hand across his face. "We're here, you've been awfully quiet."

"Hmm? Oh, sorry. I was- nevermind."

"Honey? Is something wrong?" he asked, tilting his head. He suddenly sighed. "Are my pants on backwards again?"

"What? No. I was daydreamimg.You remember the Subway on 42nd Street?"

"Yeah?" 

"You called me Lolo at the house this morning. You also called me that on our first date. Took me back, I guess."

"Oh, well okay then. Well, come on, before Monroe gets on our case." 

"Was that a police pun- oh my god."

"You know it!" Roman beamed, looking pleased with himself. Logan shook his head while getting out of the car. 

"Remember when you had longer hair?" Logan asked, holding the door open for him. 

"Oh, good gracious, down to my butt?"

"But you let me braid it. It looked nice sometimes" He swiped his card and once the door unlocked, he held the door open for him.

"Okay, yeah, that was nice, but the rest of the time it looked like a tumbleweed and a haystack got frisky in my hair. Be patient, it'll grow back. I'll let you put in pigtails later if you be good."

Logan let out a puff of air in a laugh and rolled his eyes, walking into the main office. "If I be good. You're something."

"The lovebirds have landed in the nest, everyone!" Becky called, and Logan heard Sarge snort.

"Monroe, you seem to be enjoying her jokes more often, what's going on?" Roman poked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Hush up, Wilson. I'll suspend your staff bathroom privileges."

"But the toilet in the garage doesn't even work!" Roman whined.

"That's the point." He replied. "Just kidding, hi guys!" 

Logan chuckled and sat down on his desk, turning on his computer and launching his emails. Roman did whatever he was doing- probably playing that minesweeper game. All they were doing was waiting for Cap to give them the run down.

"Roman Wilson? Could I have you in my office please? Logan, please come too, this pertains to you as well."

Roman got up without questioning it. Logan, however, hesitated. Cap rarely asked anyone to his office. He tried to calm his nerves, and stood up.

And when Roman held open the door for him, well, he didn't know what would happen when it was time to leave the office.

"Roman, Logan, please sit." Captain Ross said, waving his hand to the spare chairs. 

The air was tight. Deathly tight. Logan swallowed and took a seat.

"Have a look at this folder." He said, handing it to Roman once he sat down. Logan stole a glimpse.

"That's..a partial license plate." Roman said, quizzically. "That's a..Dodge Ram 3500, painted silver- that's my truck, why do you have a picture of my truck?" Roman asked, holding his breath.

"Last night at around 12 o'clock, this truck was reportedly seen outside of a murder scene. This photo was taken by a witness." 

Logan's head shot up. "A murder scene? We were out on a date, by 11 we were sleeping, Captain." 

Roman gulped. Logan's eyes flicked to Roman. 

He'd never seen him so nervous. 

Chapter 4: 

"I-I was in bed. I went outside to fill the h-heater tank, the t-truck was in the garage, I w-wasn't anywhere near it, no, not anywhere by it." Roman stuttered, wiping his eyes from tears that didn't come, trying to get air through a pinhole throat.

"Turn the page. We have your fingerprints on a kitchen knife. A kitchen knife was the murder weapon." 

Logan was silent. He didn't know what to think at all. He trusted his husband, he really did, but..evidence is evidence. Even though that evidence was so scary. He closed his eyes. And he assumed that stoic, soldier Logan. Tonight, he was a soldier again. And he had to keep marching.

"Dear, you have-"

Logan breathed out, long and hard, and, in standing up briskly, he nearly knocked the chair over. He straightened his tie. "Excuse me, Captain Ross. I'll be using one of my vacation days now." 

He turned, but not before looking at his husband. He looked with sadness. "I trust you. But..I might need a day alone. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Roman."

He felt something slip off and clatter to the floor, but he didn't hear it.

He walked out and quietly let the door shut. He saw Becky's face, and didn't even acknowledge her. Sarge looked tense. He grabbed his coat off the rack, and left without hesitation. 

He saw their truck, and he hailed a taxi instead. And when he got home, he locked the door, fell against it, and cried.

-

I'm not a murderer.

I'm not a murderer. 

I'm not a murderer. 

"You're going to be put on leave. There's not enough evidence to try you. I hope-"

"I didn't do it. I didn't kill somebody. I was at my house. I went to put gas in the tank. That's how we heat our house at night. How I-" He stumbled and let out a sob. "I didn't-"

"There's evidence, Wilson. I'm sorry. I trust you-"

"I swear to God. Do you have a bible in here, I'll swear on the bible. I am not a murderer." Roman blurted. He was frantic. Crying hysterically. 

Captain Ross sighed. 

"Withholding evidence is illegal. I need to report this."

"Get someone on the case. Find counter evidence. I swear. Please."

"Are you telling the truth."

"The whole truth and nothing but. Please, Jason." 

Captain Ross sighed heavily. 

"I'll call Agent Hale. He will investigate the scene. If no counter evidence is found, you will be tried. If counter evidence is found, we will file for framing."

"Thank you."

"You are dismissed." 

Roman stood up, nodded, and went to leave. But, he noticed something on the floor. 

A small, silver band, engraved with and L and an R in beautiful script. Surrounded in a heart. Roman picked it up, tucked it in his breast pocket, and left the room.

"Roman! Oh my gosh, what the hell happened?" Becky exclaimed, clicking her heels towards him. 

"I need a place to stay for a bit. It might not be best for me to come home. I- I don't want to hurt him."

Becky looked stunned. "I'm sorry, sugar." she said, wrapping him in a hug. "Come home with me. I have a spare room."

And Roman, having no money on him, nowhere else to go, accepted. 

-

Logan stayed shut up in his room. He didn't eat anything, he didn't drink anything. He didn't even find any interest in reading, the thing he most loved to do.

_"Hey, what'cha reading?" Roman asked, sitting down on the couch and bringing his arm around him._

_"Alias Grace." Logan mumbled, licking his finger and turning the page._

_"Gimme the rundown."_

_"It was published last month. Written by Margaret Atwood, the same lady that wrote The Handmaid's Tale. True story."_

_"Ooh, sounds interesting. Read a page to me?"_

_"Of course."_

He set down the book and dried his face. How ironic, a book about a murderer. He didn't want to think about that.

The house was quiet and cold. Logan sat on the bed in his room, in his normally comfortable house. Most likely, the absence of his husband contributed to his loneliness. So, the abrupt sound of his phone ringing startled him. His caller ID told him it was Roman.

He set the phone face down and let it ring. He wasn't ready to confront his emotions; other than sulking in his room and feeling sorry for himself. But it was obviously alright to feel this way; his husband of six years might have killed someone and was currently calling him for the third time in 4 minutes. This time, he had left a voicemail. 

Reluctantly, he listened to the southern drawl that he was scared to allow himself to bring him comfort any more 

"Logan, honey, could we please talk? I need to explain this."

The landline rang from the other room. He let it ring once again. Despite how much he wanted to hear Roman's voice and have his arms around him in a warm embrace, he was absolutely at risk. Look at him, having a mental breakdown with even his morals incorrect. 

But screw morals. He picked up the phone and dialed the number that he knew by heart. 

"Hello? Roman, please talk." He said into the phone, his hands shaking. 

"Hello, Logan, please don't hate me, let me explain. Becky let me stay around her house. You, um, left your ring back at the precinct. I have it. You have to believe that I didn't kill that person. It wasn't me.You have to believe me."

Logan stayed quiet for a minute before answering in a shaky voice. "Roman, I trust you. But..I just can't, I feel like- I'm sorry. I'm..scared." 

"You have to believe me. We were out that night, remember? We came home, then I said I had to fill the tank up. For lack of better language, how the hell could I have commited murder in the time frame of, like, 1 minute." he said, growing tired now.

"That's..true." Logan said, rubbing his face. 

"Please, you have to believe me, Logan." 

Logan sighed. "You said you were with Becky?" 

"Yes." 

"Okay. I..guess you can come home. Does Ross have anyone on the case?"

"Agent Hale. Oh my god, thank you Logan."

"Just, one thing. I love you, okay. But I'm gonna act weird. I know you didn't do it, but.. I can hardly remember anything from that night. And if there's evidence..I just.. Remember I love you, okay?"

"Okay. I love you too."

Chapter 5:

"Thank you so much Becky! Remind me to send you some extra molasses on Christmas!" Roman exclaimed, almost squishing her in a huge hug.

"No prob, Bob. If you ever need to crash at my place, just show up on my doorstep."

Roman chuckled. "Of course."

"Now go home, before I burn the casserole."

"You and that damn casserole, honestly. Do you even eat anything else?"

"I used to get mozzarella sticks from Sheetz before I moved up here."

"Yeah, and that was 4 years ago." Roman said, crossing his arms.

"Hush. You'll make me move back." 

"Uh-huh. Like hell you would. You love me too much for that." 

"You're something. Bye, cowboy"

"Bye, steel ass."

-

He couldn't wrap his head around _why._ Why would someone do that to Roman? Why didn't he trust his own husbamd? A tear slid down his face and he rubbed it away. Indifference, he decided, would have to return. He pushed down his emotions and buried them. 

Ding dong.

_"Chickpea? You awake?"Roman exclaimed to the house._

_Logan practically dashed from the kitchen into his arms. Roman dropped his suitcase and squeezed him._

_"Hi sugar. Miss me?"_

_"More than anything. How was home?"_

_"It was..homey. Like it always is."_

_"Did you tell them?"_

_"How mad would you be if I said I didn't.. you're gonna kill me aren't you."_

_"Honey. You have to tell them eventually. We're going to get married in 2 months."_

_"Can't they just like...never know.." Roman whined, twiddling his thumbs._

_"I'm calling your mom."_

_"Fine. Be like that."_

_"Fine."_

_Logan dialed Anna Mae's number carefully and waited for her to pick up._

_"Hello? Who's this? Did my baby boy get home okay? Is this the hospital? Who's this?"_

_"Anna Mae, this is Logan, one of Roman's friends-"_

_"Why can't he talk? Is he okay?"_

_"Mama, I'm right here, calm down."_

_"Tonto del culo! Having people call me that I don't know again- I'm sorry, Logan, sweetheart, whoever you are, I get very nervous, my son is a bit fastidioso. No offense, honey."_

_"None taken. Mama, I need to tell you something that I didn't tell you on my trip."_

_"You left the cows out again, didn't you."_

_"What? No. I'm..getting married in two months."_

_"Oh, that's wonderful! Why didn't I meet this fine lass when you came?"_

_Roman made eye contact with Logan for a second before looking away. "Well, uh, about that... He's a lad. You spoke to him five seconds ago?"_

_"Oh mis estrellas, first I think you're dead, and then you tell me you're a poof? Well, okay, but my heart can't take that much in one setting, I'm not as young as I once was. Well, when are you coming down for the wedding?"_

_"Well, here's the thing-"_

Logan heard footsteps. He quickly dried his face and put on an unreadable expression. Emotions just complicated things. 

Tonight, he was a soldier.

And there Roman was, standing in the doorway. His eyes were red, his hair messy. They made eye contact. 

And Roman took the ring out of the breast pocket, set it on the end table, and said,

"I'm making pulled pork for dinner. It'll be done in around an hour." Roman mumbled, void of the normal bounciness it held. 

Normal, well, was figuratively out the window now.

"Noted," was all Logan said.

Roman had never met this Logan. The curt, no bullshit Logan. He'd always been around the bubbly, flirty Logan, because Roman was the reason that Logan existed.

Roman turned and retreated back to the other side of the house, judging by how many footsteps it took. Logan sat on the bed, feeling the heavy quilt that covered it. He remembered that it was an anniversary gift- the precinct had made it for their marriage having lasted 5 years already. 

_"Detective Wilson times 2, can I see you both in the briefing room in a few minutes?" Monroe said, aligning his papers and standing up_

_"Sure thing, Sarge. We'll be over as soon as I finish this file." Logan replied, moving to fix his posture so he could type faster._

_"Hey now, I'm doing things too."_

_"What, playing Minesweeper?"_

_"...maybe."_

_Logan stood up. "Come on sweetheart, let's see what they want."_

_Roman joined him and they walked together. Roman held the door open for him._

_"SURPRISE!!" Everyone exclaimed, while Becky fired a confetti cannon at them._

_"What's all this?" Roman asked, smiling, while Logan tried desperately to get the paper out of his mouth and hair._

_"It's your five year anniversary! We made you a quilt!" Cap said, with a wide smile across his face._

_"It was supposed to be for Christmas, but we didn't finish it in time, so pretend it's for your anniversary!" Monroe said in a slightly hushed tone_

_"Hush up Monroe, they weren't supposed to know that!" Becky said, stomping her foot. Logan had managed to stop eating party paper by now and he started to chuckle._

_"Oh, thank you guys so much! You didn't have to!"_

_"Take the freaking blanket, my arms hurt, It's also really soft!" David said, turning off his radio with his chin and struggling to keep it up._

_"Oh, yeah, this one's going in our room. Look how pretty, it's got blue and gray and gold in it!"_

_"Thank you guys so much, again!"_

_"Yins are welcome, really, it was no trouble!"_

Logan sighed. Back to reality. Roman was stood at the doorway. 

"Dinner is done." 

And Roman didn't say any more. He didn't wait for him. They ate in silence. The tension could be cut with a knife. No comments on how good it was. Whose turn it was to do the dishes. (Roman did them. He didn't feel like arguing.)

He noticed that Roman finished his pack of cigarettes. At the table he watched the couch, where smoke floated up and the occasional cough would emanate through the house.

And all through that, they didn't exchange more than a few words. However, once, they exchanged a glance. One that said 'I love you.' One that said 'I'm sorry.' One that said 'Stop this. Forgive me. I know. I'm sorry.'

Chapter 6:

The smell of nicotine was almost intoxicating. Logan sprayed air freshener around, which mixed with Roman's cologne, and surprise surprise, the smell of new leather and nicotine doesn't mix well with 'Febreze: Vanilla Flower. Breathe Happy' 

Roman had always smoked outside. He didn't ever put Logan in danger, and he didn't want the scent sticking to the sofa and the recliner and everything. Today, he was inside, spread across the couch. Logan poked at his pork and noticed that he'd finished a pack in the five minutes that he was watching and was digging into another. The only sound in the air was the lighting of a lighter, the occasional cough and sputter, and the scraping of a fork against a plate. Logan could almost imagine the ticking of the clock on the mantel. That clock had died 3 years ago.

He set down his fork and didn't bother to clean the table. He didn't yet know it, but Roman's eyes were on him. He stared around the room aimlessly for a minute before turning to retreat to his room. And he nearly got to the hallway before:

"Logan?"

He stopped, and turned his head to the side slightly, still facing forward. 

"What." He asked, keeping his voice steady.

"I..I don't pretend to know the challenges you're facing. I know there's not a chance of replacing your trust. I'm not afraid, though. I remember who I married. And I remember that in times of difficulty, that the Logan I knew would listen to both sides of the story, and decide where he stood. I think I know what happened."

Logan turned the full way around, and his collected and stiff appearance was betrayed by the glassiness in his eyes. 

“What happened, baby." Logan said, sniffliing.

“I was framed.”

_"Let's get down to business, everyone. In a few minutes, our new detective is going to walk through that door and I need everyone to be at the top of their game. Logan, you went wild on the filing cabinets, correct?"_

_"Affirmative. They're in alphabetical order, and they've all been wiped down and dried."_

_"Great. Becky, is your welcoming ceremony all set?"_

_"Of course."_

_"Perfect. On to our guy. His name is Roman Wilson, he's 23, and he's joining us from-"_

_"Rhodesia?" David interrupted, waving his hand around frantically._

_"Detroit?" Becky blurted._

_"No, he's from Texas." Sarge said, stepping in front of the stand because Cap was having one of his Facepalming Sessions Where He Questioned His Life Decisions ™._

_"Oh, so he's a yeehaw heartthrob."_

_"Yes, Rebecca. And you're a 'yinsyall' heartthrob. Dismissed!"_

_"He digs me. You think Wilson will like the cologne I got him?" Becky said to Logan while everyone else got up to book it to the entrance._

_“Maybe. Can't make an inference yet.” He replied, gathering his notes._

_They left the room and not two seconds after Logan got settled, a tall man with long blonde hair and literal cowboy boots strutted in._

_And if Logan wasn't already falling for his attitude, he went flying at the sound of his voice._

_"Excuse me, Miss..uh.."_

_"Just call me Becky. You're the new detective?"_

_"Thank you ma'am. I mean Becky."_

_"You're very welcome! First order of business, you need to meet the squad."_

_Logan and a few other people looked up. Cap and Sarge came forward, and Roman shook both their hands. He tuned the proceedings out for a minute before he saw Roman walking towards him with Becky. His head was looking all around._

_"And this is Logan, he's your desk mate."_

_"Hello-" Logan said, slightly raising his hand and waving._

_Roman's eyes crinkled from smiling as he repeated the motion. "Howdoya? I'm guessing we're desk mates."_

_"Um, y-yeah."_

_He was probably bright red. And judging by the fact that Becky was motioning with her hand to see her, he was being insufferably awkward._

_"Excuse me, but, uh, duty calls."_

_"Of course."_

_He got up and practically booked it to Becky's desk. Once he got there, Becky eyed him weirdly._

_"You wanna pull yourself together?"_

_"I'm sorry, it's just that he's.. he's so.."_

_"Charming? Beautiful? Sexy?"_

_"He's just so nice."_

_"Someone's got a crush!"_

_"Shh! He'll hear you!"_

It's funny that he always said 'shh' and 'hush', because he never liked the quiet before. He couldn't think. Something perceived to be so empty, always filled his head with thoughts, and it crushed him. 

"You were framed?"

"I was filling gas in the tank, because you were complaining about how cold you were."

"Oh my..god. I'm an idiot. This is why I don't get drunk. 

"No, honey-"

Logan rubbed his face. "Am I that horrible to jump to conclusions?"

"It's fine." Roman said, looking defeated. 

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's fine."

It wasn't fine.

Chapter 7:

He didn't trust him. He didn't trust him, and that almost cost everything. He believed, if only for a day, that he had taken another life. 

Does he even know him at all?

That night, they slid into the same bed. Logan said goodnight as Roman mumbled his prayers.

'Dear God, I know I haven't talked to you in a while, and I hope you still want to listen to me. If you're listening, then there's something I'd like to tell you. I'm sure that it has come to your attention that an innocent soul has entered your kingdom. The law believes that I was the culprit, though I'm sure you already know that I'm not. Please bless the family with the knowledge of who did it so their minds may be at ease. Please bless my Mama and Logan. Say hello to Papa. Amen."

Roman shifted to his side and squeezed his eyes shut, as if that helped him disappear. 

He remembered that as a kid he'd always wanted the ability to disappear. Texas in the 80's was honestly not that promising. He remembered back when he was 7, a hurricane came, and the town had plummeted into debt. His parents scrambled to make money- that's where his sister's sewing business started, when he'd stayed up until the early hours of the morning picking up trash and small building pieces along the dirt roads. He remembered that, in that moment, he wished that he and his family were anywhere else. Their pulling horse had been hit with a rock and hadn't survived. He remembered his pap had spent weeks doing the fields. 

He hadn't felt that way for a long time again, until he had to leave home for college.

Papa had been long dead at this point. He'd been the man of the house, taking care of his Mama and his new nephews. His brother-in-law had taken off after their births, and left his sister loney, young, and with the weight of two lives on her hands. He remembered his Mama wanted him to go to school, but he knew that secretly she was stressed, exhausted, and sad. 

He wished he could make her feelings disappear, far away so that they would never harm her again.

He'd sent his paychecks there, every time he got paid. He'd written letter after letter until his hand ached; no wonder his middle name was Alexander. He'd call home every night. His sister had mailed him photos, of her sons and their mother, of their thriving fields. 

And one day, he didn't want to disappear so badly. 

Sure, he had his bad times. And it consumed every waking hour. But sometimes he didn't feel so horrible.

Logan only knew them as the days where he would stay in bed until noon and sleep. When he would poke at his food like a kid would a dead possum. He didn't want Logan to know that side of him, only the cheerful, lovely, charming side of him.

So maybe he didn't know anything.

And, sometimes for weeks at a time, he'd play pretend. As long as Logan wasn't upset, worried, or concerned, he would keep faking it until he made it. 

What you don't know can't hurt you.

He turned over again. Logan was fast asleep on his back, one hand on his stomach and one hand at his side. Roman slid his hand underneath Logan's and intertwined their fingers. And, for a second, Logan smiled. 

He didn't want to disappear just yet.

_"Oh mi estrellas, my beautiful boy is off getting hitched tonight!"_

_"Mama, it's okay, don't cry."_

_"Roman, my son, I'm going to cry either way."_

_"I know. We'll have tissues by your seat."_

_"Muchas gracias. Now I need to go see your groom, hurry up and go make sure that I picked the right whiskey, I'm not sure how Logan likes it."_

_"Neat or on the rocks, depends on the day." Roman said, then turning to leave the room to check the reception room. His sister was there in her green dress, putting out cookies._

_"June! You made it!"_

_"God, Roman, it's almost showtime, what are you doing here?" June says, turning her head._

_"Hush and give your little brother a hug."_

_"Oh, fine. Did Mama see you yet?" She said, squeezing him tight._

_"Yes, of course. She kept me forever, now she's going to fawn over Logan."_

_"That woman, sometimes."_

_"Where's the kids?"_

_"With Jeff, practicing not dropping the rings."_

_"Alright. Have you figured out your toast?"_

_"Yeah, I think I'm going to stand on the table and sing Sweet Caroline."_

_"Oh god."_

_"Oh god right." She checked the wall clock. "Now go get at the front, the wagon's gonna start going in 5 minutes."_

_Roman nodded and took a kiss on the cheek from her. He stole a shot of whiskey and downed it as he left._

_In the main hall, the priest stood, along with a few guests. Mostly family. Roman made his way down the aisle._

_"I'm so glad you could do this, Father."_

_"Why, of course."_

_"You're ready?"_

_"Yes, are you?"_

_"I am, but I'm nervous."_

_"Don't fret, once things start to happen, it'll be wonderful. Plus you get to make out, that's always nice."_

_"Father Kelsey!"_

_"Dear, please call me Patton. We've known eachother since we were young. Oh, here comes our wonderful guests."_

_Friends, family, and the precinct filtered in. Roman saw Becky wave her gloved hand from the back. Roman grinned. Once everyone was seated, the lady at the organ started to play._

_The groomsmen walked in. Roman broke into a wide smile._

_And then, escorted by his mother, was his fiancee. He was dressed in blue, and he looked as handsome as the first day he had ever laid eyes on him. As he came down, Roman found himself in even more awe._

_"Thank you, Father Kelsey." Logan said._

_"Of course."_

_The lady at the organ stopped playing and the room went quiet when the Reverend raised his hands._

_"Ladies, gentlemen, and kindly individuals, we are gathered here today for a great celebration. This celebration is the ending of an adventure, and the beginning of another. Thank you so very much for being present." He started, in his calm voice._

_"Now, would the ring bearers please come forward with the rings?"_

_Roman held his breath as his nephews practically ran down the aisle with them. Logan chuckled._

_They handed the rings to Patton and awkwardly shook his hand before running off to their seats._

_"Do you, Roman Wilson, take Logan Wilson to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, in times of despair and in happiness?"_

_"I do." Roman said, looking into Logan's eyes._

_"And do you, Logan Wilson, take Roman Wilson to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, forever under the safety of love?"_

_"I do."_

_"Now, anyone wishing to bring something to our attention must speak now or forever hold your peace."_

_"S'cuse me! I'd like to say something!" Someone said._

_Roman's head whipped around so fast that he almost hit the Reverend in the face with his braid. It was his little nephew, Ethan, jumping up and raising his hand._

_"Um, I'd like to bring to attention that, uh, Uncle Roman, your fly is down."_

_Roman looked down._

_"..Thanks Ethan." he mumbled, zipping up._

_Logan tried to hold in a giggle, and he could hear Becky's snicker. June gasped at her son._

_Ethan gave a thumbs up and sat back down. There was a beat of silence with held in giggles by the little ones._

_"Now that that's been taken care of, you may now kiss the groom."_

_Laughing, Roman kissed Logan as the organ kicked up._

Chapter 8:

Logan woke up to his alarm. He heard the faint sound of coughing. He went to investigate. 

He walked out to the living room and saw Roman sitting at the window seat, smoking. 

"Morning. I'm not allowed to work this week. Didn't want to wake you."

"Oh. Alright. I'll, uh, go get dressed."

Logan didn't see it, but Roman frowned, pulled up his sleeve, and stubbed out the hot cigarette on his forearm. Wincing, he flicked it out the window and rolled back down his sleeve.

Logan made it back to his room. He put on his work sweater and layered his big poof jacket on top. It was snowing already. 

He grabbed his things and his wallet and headed out, and it was like before they lived together again, him travelling to work alone. He didn't much like it.

"Wilson, I'd like you to meet Agent Virgil Hale. He's investigating your husband's case."

Logan looked up to see a man with dark brown hair and bags in his eyes to complement them. He looked Scandinavian, maybe some northern country.

"Mr Wilson, hello, I'm Virgil."

So he's Swedish.

"Hello, I'm Logan. I hope you can figure out what's going on here."

"I'll check it out in a bit. Thanks, Captain."

"Of course." Captain Ross said

Virgil sat down and immediately got into the computer. "What's this? There's numbers on the screen?"

"Oh, it's a game that Roman likes. You click it and hope that it doesn't explode."

"Explode? It's rigged?!" He shoots up and brings the monitor with him, ripping out the plugs. There goes that computer.

"No, it's a game. There's no bomb."

"I don't understand." He looked at the monitor and slowly set it into the trash. 

"We'll get you a new temporary one. Maybe they might upgrade it to the 95!"

"Upgrade? For breaking things? Break my leg please, I'm 30 and I need a new knee."

"I think that'd get me in trouble-"

"Rule follower, eh? I'm pretty sure my knee replacement costs less than hours upon hours of paperwork. Aren't you tired of being nice? Don't you just wanna go apeshit?" Virgil said, leaning on the desk, half bent over.

"No, I do not." Logan said, looking at his computer.

"You passed the test, kid. Welcome to the club." Virgil smiled, embracing him.

"Club? This is complicated- okay, alright, and he's hugging me."

-

Roman was currently putting an imprint into the sofa. He had nothing else better to do. He did have some self control, so he wasn't smoking anymore. 

He desperately wanted to go for a walk, outside, in the fresh air. But he knew he couldn't. He was a potentially dangerous man.

A potentially dangerous man.

_"What are you doing at this time of night?"_

_Roman turned. A cop faced him, looking him up and down._

_"Excuse me? I'm coming back from the store." He said, holding up his plastic Walmart bag._

_"What's in the bag?"_

_"Oh, just some lettuce, some tomatoes- look, buddy, I really would appreciate-"_

_"Drop it."_

_He dropped the bag, scared suddenly. The cop turned his radio on. "We have a potentially dangerous man on the corner of-"_

_He looked down at his hands, nervously, before turning angry. Oh. This. He knew which card he had to play to get home tonight._

_"Listen, bud, I'm with the Buffalo police department."_

_"Shit, I didn't know you were a cop." He said, lowering his gun and raising his hands._

_Roman's eyes narrowed. This dude had the gall to try to arrest a Mexican police officer purely because he was Mexican._

_No other tells, no prior interrogation, just a man walking down the street, coming home from the store, suddenly stopped and held at gunpoint by a police officer._

_Thoughts had raced around his head in a whirlwind, and they were all he could think about. Was he going to get home safe tonight? What about Logan? What if the police called him; he'd have a panic attack. Would he be okay?_

_"Have a nice night, sir." The police officer said, walking off._

_What the hell?_

_But before he could say anything, he was gone. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open, calling Logan as fast as he could._

_"Honeybee? Are you okay?"_

_"What do you mean? I'm home safe, on the couch."_

_"Oh, thank the good Lord above. I just got stopped by a cop."_

_"What? Why?"_

_"I didn't do anything, he was just..you know."_

_"Oh, great. You're not in the back of a car again, are you?"_

_"No, I'm on my way home. He let me go because I said I was a cop."_

_"What the fuck? I hate New York sometimes."_

_"I know honey. I know."_

Chapter 9:

"Roman? Are you still laying on the couch?"

"Mhm."

"Maybe you should get a little job, one you can quit after all this shit is over."

So, here came the pressure. He'd get himself a job that throws him into a sadness because that's not the job for him. Being a cop was his dream job. And something like retail would crush him.

-

"That'll be 48.52." 

He had to keep bringing money home somehow. Sure, it didn't make him happy, but Logan was happy. Of course, he was in the dark, and he'd be devastated if he found out about most of the shit Roman had to deal with. Sometimes it was better that he didn't know some things.

He was sure Logan had his secrets, too. If they knew everything, they'd be vulnerable. 

So it wouldn't hurt them.

He took the money from the customer and rang him up. He saw a little girl making grabby hands at the stuffed toy at the bagging station. He smiled.

He wished he could have kids of his own. It would help to ask Logan, but after the hit their relationship just took, it felt like he was patching up a hole.

"Do you have kids of your own?" The man asked suddenly, looking up at him.

"No, not yet. How old is she? Your girl."

"She's three."

"Cute little thing." He smiled and handed her the stuffy. 

"It is nice to meet people all the time, and I do have some questions about parenting. For..the future."

"I'd be happy to meet up with you sometime. Here's my place of work." 

He plucked a business card out of his breast pocket. 

_Emile Picani_

_Picani's Therapy and Personal Wellness_

_4432 Derby Way, Buffalo_

_(777)333-3355_

"That sounds lovely! We can meet up sometime."

"I look forward to it!" Emile said, grabbing his bags. 

And Roman did too.

-

Logan was a bit nervous to go back to work the next day. Everyone had finally caught wind of the whole thing that happened, and he was scared to find out what they were going to say. 

Of course, he'd never cared what people thought, he was gay after all. Kinda need to be tough to be out in this day and age. 

But this was his friends he was talking about. He valued their friendship and opinions above all. And to not have that anymore…

He was overthinking. They'd just ask questions. 

He saw the ring, still on the end table, and picked it up. It was a simple silver band, but engraved on the inside was an L and an R, in script, somehow beautiful and childish at the same time.

_"Oh, honey, don't do that, you can't have those kinds of tattoos!" Logan slurred, laying on his shoulder. They were horrendously drunk._

_"But I can though." Roman pointed out._

_"Oh, really. Well, tattoos are expensive."_

_"So are you."_

_"Uh, falsehood."_

_"That's my thing!"_

_"Yeah, and tattoos are my thing!"_

_"You have tattoos?"_

_"Oh- fine. I have a dragon tattoo on my side-"_

_"Oh my god I wanna see it!"_

_"Honey! You can't!"_

_"Hmph. I bet I can."_

_Logan attacked Roman in a tickle fight, suddenly._

_"Tickle tickle, I'm the tickle monster!" They fell on the couch laughing._

_"The tickle monster is gonna tickle you until he sees the cool tattoo!"_

_"Oh my god- fine, get off me-" Roman said between laughs. Logan quickly scooched back so he was on the actual couch. Roman pulled up his shirt to reveal a big black and red dragon spewing golden fire._

_"Technically she's a dragon witch, see, she has sparkly fire. Magic."_

_"That's so cool! I want one!"_

_"Logan!"_

He smiled, thinking of the memory. He remembers, a year later, when they were finally going to get married, he'd brought up his stupid, childish idea and Roman loved it engraved on a ring.

Just one of those little things. He twirled the band in his fingers, then for the first time in days, he slipped it back on. 

He was ready to get to the bottom of whoever did this to Roman.

And so help him, he would find them if it was the last thing he did.

-

Roman had the alibi of being at work to meet Emile. And that was all Logan knew about it. They'd found a small coffee shop on the corner of Cypress and they'd decided to stop there to talk.

"So, parenting. Is it hard?"

"Sometimes. But it shouldn't be easy. Do you have experience babysitting?"

"Well, sort of. My sister's husband took off after she got pregnant with twins, so I helped her with them."

"What're the twins' names?"

"Ethan and Tyler. They're identical. The only reason we can tell them apart is that one has freckles and one doesn't." He said, chuckling along with Emile.

"So, have you talked with your partner about it?"

"No. We're kind of not allowed."

"What do you mean?"

"Not allowed to adopt yet. It's been six years since we were allowed to get married, but still, nothing."

"Oh, I'm sorry about those things. Laws about love are..pretty stupid."

"Tell me about it. How did you get your kid?"

"She's my niece, technically. My brother lets me act as a father though, he knows that I can't right now. After his wife left, at least."

"That's nice of him."

He did feel like a dad to his nephews when they were little. They were probably 12 by now, maybe 11. 

He wished the law wasn't so stupid.

Chapter 10: 

"Logan, friend, I need you to come to the crime scene. Forensics are here, they found something." Virgil said into his phone. 

"I'll be right over, thank you." Logan said, flipping his phone shut and shifting his car into reverse. He'd been waiting for the call for two hours now. 

He had..actually no idea where Roman was. His shift ended an hour ago- actually, he didn't even think he had work today. 

He sighed and flipped open his phone, dialing his number. He'd answered immediately. He'd heard another voice talking in the background before it abruptly stopped.

Strange.

"Yes, honey?" 

"Where are you? Work ended an hour ago."

"Uh, actually, I'm going to therapy."

"That's really good, I've went, it's fantastic. I'm proud of you, babe. I'm going out for a bit to investigate something, so if you get back before me, that's where I am." 

"Okay dumpling. I'll see you."

"Buh bye."

He flipped his phone shut as he was pulling into the driveway of the house. There was still police tape around it, and officers everywhere. He showed his badge and ducked under the tape, windbreaker making a squeaking noise when it made contact with it. 

"Logan, come look." Virgil called.

He saw forensics gathered all around the place taking samples of everything. 

Virgil held up a piece of hair in a plastic baggie. 

"Attacker was blonde, apparently. Forensics says he's in his late 20's, based off the thickness of his hair."

Logan took the bag and looked at it, frowning. 

"Are you sure this place has zero security footage?" He asked. 

"None." Virgil replied, shaking his head.

"Well, this is great. My husband is 27, he has no solid alibi, and he has evidence already pointing to him. He has no chance in court."

"Detective Hale, Detective Wilson, we found something!" A man in a mask and a lab coat said. 

"What is it?" Virgil asked, head shooting up and eyes going wide.

"The victim's blood isn't the only blood. We have some of the attacker's blood too!"

"Test it, run it through the databases, then." Virgil said.

"Hey" Logan asked, "Strange question, but do you think someone could run fingerprints on the hair?"

"I'll get on that." A woman said, taking it and putting it to a machine they had set up in the kitchen. 

"We have faintly yours and another person's- hold on, halt everything, I found a match!" The woman exclaimed excitedly.

Everyone stopped dead in their tracks as they hounded the computer screen, trying to get a look. 

"Our guy is D Ryan."

_"Our guy is D Ryan. 5'7, Caucasian male with a scar down the right of his face. Be careful, he's armed. Let's go, Buffalo!"_

_"Let's go, Buffalo!" everyone chorused, piling out of the back of the vehicle and kicking the door down of the bank. A man pointing a gun at a teller froze, looked at them, and then darted, shooting bullets every which way._

_"Drop your weapon, Buffalo PD! We've got you surrounded!" Logan shouted as he guarded Roman._

_"Really. I'd never expect it. Go ahead and arrest me, trying to make a living and feed my family." He said, turning back to the teller._

_"Sir, trust me, this isn't the way. If you stop, and put your hands up, you'll still have them."_

_"Yeah, when I'm 50 years old and my daughters have to grow up without a father."_

_Roman sniffled. He knew what that was like._

_"Sir, I'm going to ask you to drop your weapon and the money."_

_"Do you promise I'll see them? My daughters."_

_"You'll see them."_

_"I need the money. I need it, to give them a good life. And you want me to give them up."_

_He teared up and threw the gun to the floor, money flying everywhere. He wiped his face and raised his hands._

_They advanced immediately, Roman cuffing him and bringing him to the car. Everyone else did clean up, taking pictures for the file and calming down the tellers and pedestrians._

Logan grew increasingly nervous about where Roman was. He was thinking about calling him again when he came through the door. 

"Where the hell were you? I got home 4 hours ago."

"Not tonight, honey, we can do this in the morning. I'm tired." He slurred, holding his head.

-

He wasn't tired. Just guilty.

Guilty of making an infinitely horrible decision.

So, maybe he'd stayed even later for drinks with Emile. And maybe he'd had one too many.

And maybe he'd found himself drunk, on Picani's couch, making out with the man. 

_"Shit, what am I doing?" Roman exclaimed, suddenly breaking away._

_"Shh. He won't find out."_

_"I- I'll see you later, Emile."_

And he stumbled home drunk. At 2 am. Logan would kill him.

He'd stopped himself before it got too intense. He had been very drunk. And he almost tried to justify it in his head. He was drunk, just a dumb decision.

And Roman prayed that Logan would never, ever find out on his own.

-

"Breaking News: There's been an escape at the local prison, reports say that the escapist was D Ryan, the armed robber that the Buffalo PD caught just last week. The man has still not been found, but the Buffalo PD is currently looking for him. We'll have more on that in a bit. Next up, we have the weather with Aaron Mentkowski. Aaron?" The news said, and Logan tuned it out.

"How was the scene?" Roman asked that night in bed.

"We have our guy, like the news said. We just need to find him. Then all this shit can be over." he sighed. 

"I'm ready for it to be." Roman muttered.

Logan nodded his head and took Roman's hand, squeezing it.

"We'll get him. I promise."

Roman felt his cheek with his free hand. 

"Sugarpea?" 

"Yes?" 

"I love you. Remember that, please." He said, staring into his eyes.

"Love you too, dear." Logan replied, smiling.

Chapter 11: The Second Trial

"Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It has been 33 days since my last confession." Roman said in a remorseful voice. 

"Hi, Roman. May God the Father of all mercies help you make a good Confession.” 

"Hi Pat. I'm sorry to say that I've participated in drunkenness multiple times, and I've participated in near adultery once."

"Roman, good stars, what happened?" Patton asked.

"I made terrible choices, got drunk, and found myself making out with a therapist." Roman said.

"Mercy me! Please, I advise you to break connection with this man immediately. I will not tell you to inform Logan as part of your repentance, your union may be at stake at this point, but please, at some point. The drunkenness, however, is less weighty, please abstain from it for at least a week, and then you may partake in recreational drinking. Alright, you may say your act of contrition." Father Kelsey sighed.

"Oh my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. I detest all of my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who are all good and deserving of all of my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen."

"God the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of His son, has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins; through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” he stated.

"Amen."

"May God bless you, Roman."

"May God bless you as well, Patton."

-

December 1st, 2000

"Roman, wake up, guess what month it is!"

"Hm? What? Isn't it November?" He groaned, rubbing his eyes.

"No, silly, It's December 1st! We need to make mince pies and molasses and order mulled wine!"

"Can't that wait until tomorrow? I'm tired."

"Well maybe if you hadn't gone to the confessional at 5 am-"

"I forgot to go! I didn't want to commit another sin!"

"Alright, alright, calm down. Come make mince pie." 

"Fine. Just remember to make a batch without brandy."

"Yes, dear." 

He left to start making the pies, getting out all the ingredients. 

Logan felt absolutely ecstatic

-

Roman felt absolutely horrible. 

At least he had a reason to now.

He never had problems with keeping secrets before. He guessed that was because he never had that bad of a secret to keep, one that he didn't need to tell because it didn't affect Logan.

This one definitely would affect him.

"Dear? You seem kind of out of it, are you okay?" Logan asked while chopping up berries to put in the pies.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, just thinking."

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Well..just about life. You know."

"Yeah." He hummed, handing him a full bowl of fruits to set in the pies.

"I think I need to tell you about something."

"Yes?"

"I met this therapist. And I talked about my issues. But..he got the wrong idea about our relationship. And we got drunk, and we sort of made out for two seconds before I realized what was happening and I stopped it.

Silence, for a second. And then,

"I'm glad you were truthful, and I'm glad that you stopped it." He said, chopping more fruits. "Is that why you went to the confessional?"

"Yes, and I hadn't gone in over a month." 

"I see. Did Father Kelsey tell you to tell me, as part of your repentance?"

"No. I did it because I needed to."

He smiled. 

"I forgive you."

And he did. 

Roman had finished filling the pies. He hesitantly wrapped his hand around Logan's waist. Logan looked at him, and laid his head on his shoulder.

He was so lucky to have him.

_"Logan, we have to go, I got a call from Captain Ross that the Buffalo PD needs all hands on deck!" Roman said, running out of the bathroom and through the bar frantically._

_“What the hell happened?”_

_“He didn’t tell me, just that he needed all hands on deck in full tactical gear ASAP.”_

_“Okay, uh, we’re not that far, we can come back for the car!”_

_They rushed out and practically darted to the precinct. It wasn’t too far away, only about two blocks. They were geared up in 2 minutes and made it to the garage where the rest of the squad was._

_“There’s been a bomb threat to this area. The bomb squad is taking care of it, but we need our guy. He’s a short, middle aged Latvian male wearing a black hoodie and sweatpants. He has a gray beard. I want you guys to be careful, because he may be armed. I want everything covered! Let’s go, Buffalo!”_

_“Let’s go, Buffalo!” they repeated._

_They separated off in pairs to cover the space. Logan immediately went with Roman._

_“Logan, uh, we need to talk.”_

_“Yes?”_

_“I..uh..”_

_He nervously took his hands and brought him in close, kissing him. Logan was surprised for a second before kissing back. He tasted like nicotine and strawberries._

_“I..really like you.”_

_“I really like you too.”_

_Roman grinned._

_“Hey, uh, guys, that’s sweet and all, but there’s kind of a bomber on the loose.”_

_“David, what the hell?” Roman said, jumping five feet in the air because he was so startled._

_“Alright, alright, just quit canoodling on the job.” He said, rolling his eyes. “But, uh, congratulations, you finally figured out you liked each other.”_

_“You were here for that too?” Roman whined_

_“Oh my god, David!” Logan exclaimed_

_“Don’t worry, I won’t tell the squad. I’ll take it with me to the grave.”_

_“Okay, that’s a bit unsettling-” Logan muttered_

_“To the grave.” He said, looking to the both of them_

_“Oooookay then…”_

_He gave a thumbs up and ran away afterwards. Because, you know, that’s a completely normal thing to do._

Chapter 12: The Culprit

Roman had to quit his grocery job, because he was finally allowed to come back to the squad. And it had felt like weeks. It had been driving him absolutely crazy.

But now he was back.

“Logan, guess what today is?” Roman whispered, snuggling up to him and slinking his arm around his waist. 

“You go back to work today. We’ve been over this 15 and a half times.”

“Why a half?”

“You fell asleep halfway through explaining it to me last night.”

Roman smiled and kissed Logan’s cheek.

“Come on honeybear. Up, so we’re not late for work.”

He blushed and sat up, stretching.

“Go make breakfast, Ro.”

“Fine, so commanding-” he said, rolling his eyes. But he smiled. 

And they had breakfast, and went back to the precinct. 

Virgil was there waiting for them in the form of trying to hook up the new computer.

“Uh...whatcha doing?” Roman asked, looking at Virgil.

“Trying to figure out this computer before Roman gets back” he said, looking up. “Oh, you are Roman.” he said, eyes going wide. He quickly stood up and stuck out his hand. Roman took it and shook it. 

“Uh, I was just trying to put in your computer, I kind of broke the last one.” He said, shrugging.

“Don’t worry, I know. Logan told me.” He replied, chuckling. “At least I get an upgrade.”

“That’s what I said! Maybe you’ll break my leg for me so I can get an upgrade-”

“Uh…” Roman said, looking at him weirdly.

“Oh, just like your husband.” He said, smiling. 

Roman looked at Logan and Logan shrugged. 

"Anyways, you saw the news, we have your guy. You're not technically supposed to be here until after we bring it to court, but I managed to convince Cap to pull some strings to get you back."

"Where is everyone?" 

"On the field. There's a big case apparently. We're gonna do a final sweep of the crime scene before Major Crimes cleans it out." He explains, throwing on his trench coat. 

“Let’s go then.” Logan said, waving for them to follow him. They piled into Virgil’s car, which was an incredibly cool purple Ferrari.

“I drive. This car is my baby, I’d kill you if you hurt it.”

“With that leg?” Roman poked, grinning.

“You’re funny!” He exclaimed, laughing. Logan tried to hold in giggles. “You’re right, I’d have to hire a hitman.” 

“I don’t think they have those in the yellow pages.” Logan said.

“They do, page 4. Saw it the other day when I ordered pizza.” Virgil said, like it was nothing.

“Oh my god- That’s very illegal-” Roman said

“One case at a time, Mr. Wilson.”

They soon made it the scene. Roman winced a bit as he looked around. “Ow, a stab wound to the neck, that must have hurt.”

“Oh, yeah, the knife was still there when we got here.” Logan said.

Only a few people on the forensics team were here now. Roman swept the scene looking for anything. “Hey, guys, I found a strand of ginger hair?”

“Ginger? There weren’t any gingers here the night of the murder- unless there was another person.”

Forensics took it and tested it. “Nothing matches with our databases. You see any gingers the night of the murder?”

“Well, there was that waitress at Jimmy’s Doughnuts.”

“I’ll look into it.” Virgil stated.

“Alright, so I have a theory.” Roman said.

“Shoot your shot.” Logan said

“We have our guy. We also have our potential motive, because I was the one that brought him back to the precinct, and I was the one that brought him to court too.” He said. Virgil looked up. 

“Shit.”

“Alright, we’ve wiped the place clean. Let's get out of here."

So they left, giving the okay to Major Crimes as they dipped under the police tape. Logan saw Roman slip on some sunglasses.

"Oh my god, you're such a dork."

"No more than you are." He said, winking. 

“Oh my god, hush.”

They made about halfway to the precinct when Virgil took a wrong turn.

“Uh, this isn’t the way to the precinct-” Logan pointed out

“Oh, I wanted to take you guys to this place; not to be a stereotypical cop, but it has damn good doughnuts.”

“Dear god, not you too.” Logan groaned

“You like Jimmy’s?”

“Shit, do we have another Jimmy’s Doughnuts fan on our hands?”

“Shit, man! Well, here was the place with the ginger waitress anyways, we can multitask.” Roman explained while Virgil pulled into the parking lot and carefully parked his car. They walked in and chose a table, and lo and behold, the waitress showed her face.

“Hi, what can I start you with today?” She asked.

“We’ll have the usual. Virgil, what do you want?” Roman asked, getting comfortable in his chair

“I’ll have the ponchiki, thank you.”

“Alright, they’ll be ready in a bit!” She said, clicking away on her black flats.

They were quiet for a minute, before Virgil broke the silence. “I don’t know guys, they don’t have ponchiki on the menu.”

“Hm, yeah, I was wondering what that was.” Logan replied

“So either she doesn’t know her job, or wants easy access to- oh my god.” Roman deduced, suddenly standing up. “She’s working for Ryan. Jimmy is a nickname for James. D James Ryan!” Roman said.

“Yeah, there she goes out in the parking lot.” Logan sighed, standing. “Must have known we’d figured it out.”

“Yeah, the napkins are bugged. Damn, I was looking forward to those doughnuts.” Roman said, putting down the napkins and going to the door. “Buffalo PD, freeze!”

“FBI, hands in the air!”

She immediately froze after she heard ‘FBI’ and put her hands on her head. Logan made his way over to her. “Ma’am, do you work there?” 

“No, sir.” She said, while she put her hands behind her back. “I work for the owner.”

“And who is the owner?”

“My father, Mr. Ryan.”

“Where is he now?”

“Oh, god, please don’t tell him I told you. He’s at the Holiday Inn in the south side of Pittsburgh.”

“Alright. You’re okay, you just need to come with us for a bit, okay?”

“Okay.” She stuttered, and he nodded to Roman, who called for a cop car. Virgil was currently on the phone with Captain Ross, informing him of the tip. 

All systems go. 

Chapter 13: The Chase

Virgil got a whole task force. It consisted of Roman, Logan, and several Buffalo PD and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police officers. They'd all gotten sworn in pretty quickly, because Virgil got scary.

_"Listen, pal. We're looking at a bank robber, escapee, all that. It don't look like much from the outside, but I swear if this case goes sideways and my guy is buried, I won't look the other way on your little drug mafia. Because yeah, I know about that, and trust me, if I know ANYTHING about drug pushing, you don't tattoo your runners with one you have on your own body. And you CERTAINLY don't put an ad in the damn Sunday paper! Now you stop going to your damn files, you swear my guys in, and we go on our merry way."_

So they were currently travelling to the city and trying to get contact with the Holiday Inn. 

“Hi, welcome to the Pittsburgh Holiday Inn help desk, how may I help you?”

“Hi, I’m Agent Virgil Hale, I’m with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and I was wondering if a man called D Ryan was staying there.”

“Of course, Mr. Hale. Would you like to enroll in our rewards program for a chance to win Steelers season tickets?”

“Er..no thank you.”

“That’s okay. We have confirmed that he is staying here at the time.”

“Alright. The PBP should be there in a minute, they’re gonna ask that nobody is allowed in or out. Thank you!”

“Of course.”

“Well, that shouldn’t have worked, but it did.” Roman said. 

“Hey, he’s there, so that’s good. We get the place surrounded, I say it shouldn’t be an issue.”

They made it to Pittsburgh in no time. 

But, there was a small issue. 

“Okay, I’ll go.” A voice said, letting himself be taken by the task force. Roman watched them take him away, and he separated off to go round the building 

Turns out that was D. But that wasn’t the issue. 

“Drop your weapon.” A voice said. Roman felt something press to his back.

“You make a noise, I’ll shoot you.” 

He silently trembled as he dropped his gun to the ground with a clatter. 

“We’re gonna take a walk.”

He stepped forward slowly. 

“Who are you?”

“That's for me to know and you to wonder, Detective Wilson. Let's take a little drive." The voice said. 

Roman trembled as he climbed into the backseat. The person, who he now knew was a woman, got in the front. 

"Make a sound and you're dead." 

Roman put his head down. He then had an idea.

Just text Logan.

He silently and carefully got his phone out and flipped it open. Under his thigh, he texted "SOS, I'm in a black Honda Civic. Track me. Come quick, bring the FBI." And he quickly sent the text.

The woman still had her eyes on the road.

-

"I just got an SOS text from Roman!" Logan said frantically to Virgil. 

"The hell?" 

"Track him!"

Virgil turned on a secret button on his radio. 

"This is SOS New York. What do you need?"

"I need to locate Detective Roman Wilson of the Buffalo PD, Number #504"

"Located on Birmingham Bridge, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania."

"Thank you." 

He unpressed the button and nodded for the panicking Logan to follow him. 

They told everyone where they were going and probably would have received several misdemeanors for reckless driving if they weren’t in pursuit. 

They found a Honda Civic and carefully and inconspicuously drove next to it. Virgil rolled his window down. 

“FBI, pull over!”

The woman slammed on the gas. Logan whimpered. 

“What’d you test on the range last year?”

“Uh- silver?”

“Good enough.” He handed him a gun and said, “I want you to shoot out the tires.”

“Alright.”

He rolled down his window and aimed his weapon at the front left hand side tire. 

He wouldn't admit it, but he was really nervous. The driver could lose control of the vehicle.

He was about to shoot when the vehicle let out a cough and sputter. He heard loud swearing as the vehicle died and stopped. Virgil slammed on the brakes.

"This is the one time I say, thank God for Honda Civics." Virgil said, getting out of the car. "FBI, freeze! Out of the vehicle!"

Logan saw Roman bolt out of the car as the woman did, and into Logan's arms.

"I'm so sorry."

"Hey, it's not your fault. You're okay now. We're just gonna stay here a minute."

"You guys can go, I have to get this vehicle away and do paperwork for the perp. Go back home," Virgil said.

"I want out of Pennsylvania this instant. I don't know how Becky lived here for so long. People drive like maniacs!"

"I know honey. Maybe someday we can get stationed down here and give all the tickets we want."

"No, screw that, we ain't ever gonna catch them they're going so fast." 

Logan laughed. A taxi came by and honked at them. “You’re the ones who need to get to the train station?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, hop in, careful of the bump on the floor.” The driver said. “You cops?”

“Yeah.” Logan confirmed.

“Hope you don’t mind my driving, then. I ain’t reckless but if the bridges are icy there ain’t nothing I can do.”

Roman made a face of ‘see, I told you’ and rolled his eyes. The driver took off after that.

“So, y’all are cops? For who?”

“Buffalo PD, the both of us.”

“Oh, I have a sister that works there. Rebecca, she is. Moved up there a bit ago.”

“Kessler?”

“Oh that’s neat, tell her I said hey and to come back home, bring some casserole though.”

“I’m sure she’ll bring all the casserole, that’s all she eats.”

They sat in relative silence, before they made it to the train station.

“You kids be safe now, and if you ever need a ride around Pittsburgh, just gimme a call.”

“Alright- how much.”

“Y’all can go free, y’know my little sis. Have a good one!”

“You too!”

And with that, he drove off. 

They made it back home in another hour, and the both of them were exhausted.

“You wanna go to bed?”

“Yes, please.”

Chapter 14: The Third Trial

With all the shit going on, it was getting hard to breathe. 

Ryan’s trial was only a few days away. 

Christmas was in 2 weeks. 

Roman was on the phone, trying to calm down his mother.

And it was literally hard to breathe, because Roman hadn't stress smoked like this in years. 

What if he was found guilty? What if he was actually convicted? He'd go to jail. He wouldn't have him. It'd go on his record. He'd never get another job. They didn't have molasses in prison. Or pecan pie. 

And hell, he was having his damn pecan pie if it was the last thing Logan made sure of.

He was losing sleep trying to put together this case. He had to make it perfect so that they can win and all this shit could be over, and they could go back to normal.

Virgil was still in Pennsylvania, sorting out the legal situation with Ryan. Jimmy’s Doughnuts is trying to be bought by a not-criminal before some Starbucks buys it out. Roman’s mom is shouting in Spanish, “My baby boy was framed? Who did it? I will beat them with a coat hanger!”

“Mama, you can’t do that.” he said, in rushed Spanish. 

“I can and I will!” She said. 

Logan sat at his desk, eating his cold cornbread and staring at the file, and back at his computer. He decided that it would have to do, because he swore if he looked at that piece of paper one more time he’d throw it out the window. 

So he tucked it away and went to go listen to the argument in the living room.

“Mama, I want you to calm down. It’s all under control. We’re not going to lose this court case.” 

“If you go to prison I will personally march up there and whoop the prison guards with a coat hanger.”

“Mama, you can’t do that.”

“Fine. Remus told me he’s coming to check on you. He’ll be there today. Don’t you dare go to prison.”

“Remus?”

She hung up the phone. Roman sighed. “Like Remus would come check on us. We would need to check on him.” He muttered, knotting his hands in his hair. “Last thing I need this week is his energy.” 

“Honey? What was all that?” 

“Hmm? Oh, uh, Remus is coming over.” He sighed. 

“Oh, how nice, I haven’t seen him since the wedding!” Logan said. 

“Uh..yeah.” Roman said, looking at him weirdly. “You sure you’re that excited?”

“I love seeing your family!” he said. "Plus it may be nice to get your mind off things." He said, in a softer voice.

Ding dong, the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it.” Roman sighed, making his way over to the door. He opened it. 

“Roman! Hi! Miss me?" A loud voice squealed. Roman rolled his eyes. 

"A bit.” 

Logan was listening intently to the conversation when suddenly the news came on. 

“Breaking news- The on the run murderer has been captured and is being held in the Buffalo county police precinct. We have gotten permission to release his real name and his court date. His name is Janus Andre James Ryan. His court date has been pushed to March 30th, 2001-”

“Hey, what the hell? I thought it was on Monday?” Roman said.

“Hey, murderer’s trials always get pushed back. Like OJ Simpson, his trial lasted 11 months, remember that?” Remus replied. “At least it’s only a few months. Hey, why the hell are you on your own husband’s case anyways, Logan?”

“Because. Honestly, I don’t know either.”

“How much blood was there?” Remus suddenly asked

“Remus, what the fuck-” Roman sighed, facepalming.

“I’m a forensics scientist, Ro, chill out.”

“Because that’s something you ask your brother that was framed for murder.” Roman muttered. 

“Well, he was stabbed in the jugular vein with a kitchen knife, so, yeah, there was a significant amount of blood.” Logan said, passing Roman some leftover spaghetti. “Spaghetti, Remus?”

“Ooh! Please! You know my dog took a shit in my spaghetti once and it looked exactly like a meatball, so I-”

Roman made a loud noise of disgust and covered Logan’s ears. Remus rolled his eyes. 

"So.." Logan said, taking Roman's hands off his ears and placing them on his lap. 

"I would ask if I could see the scene, but since your husband is no fun, I'm probably not allowed."

Roman rolled his eyes and got up, grabbing his plate of spaghetti to go eat somewhere else.

"Well, the scene has been cleaned up now."

"Ah, yeah. Don't want the body decomposing yet. Autopsies are always fun to look over though. Shame there won't be one since the cause of death was known." he sighed.

Logan just looked at him weirdly. 

"Anyways, Mama sent me to go check on you. June's busy with the kids' fifth grade graduation."

"Hey, what? Aren't they like 8?" Roman said, coming back into the living room and sitting down. 

"No, twelve. Time flies, brother. It feels like yesterday that we were kids." Remus said, leaning back into the couch.

And time does fly. 

Logan remembered when he was a kid. One minute he was walking into kindergarten, clinging to his mom’s hand and holding a stuffed puppy, the next he was graduating college at St. John’s, shaking the headmaster’s hand. And then, he was saying his vows to the love of his life. 

This was going to be one of the hardest things he’d ever have to do. And hell, he was in the army. But he was ready.

He was so ready.

Chapter 15: The Final Trial

_"Logan, you're so young, don't go yet!" His mom cried, standing in the middle of the boarding area._

_"Mom, I want to. Let me. You know Dad would've liked me to."_

_"He isn't talking. He isn't even here to say goodbye, Logan."_

_"Mom, it's just for two years. I promise you I'll be fine. It's just training. This'll help me once I go and get a job, too. Now let me go."_

_"Swear you won't get shot?"_

_"I'll be fine." he said._

_With that, he turned and got on the plane, not knowing if he'd come back the same man._

"Mr. Wilson?" A man said, tapping him on the shoulder. "You need to go in. The judge is waiting." 

He exhaled shakily before nodding. He knew his husband would win. 

He had to win. He couldn’t even think about what life would be like if he didn’t win.

A criminal would walk. His innocent husband would serve so many years. His life would be over. He inhaled shakily, tightened his tie, and walked in.

Not knowing if he would come back the same man.

It was up to the jury now, he thought.

“Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, people of the court. Today we try Janus Ryan v. The State of New York v. Roman Wilson for the murder of Mr. Emerson Hayes There is evidence on both sides, so this may be a long one-”

“Your Honor, with all due respect, it’s not going to be a long one.” someone said, bursting through the door. “We have camera footage that it is, in fact, Janus and his daughters who deliberately framed Detective Wilson as an act of retaliation for arresting him at the scene of a bank robbery two weeks earlier. That rules out all evidence against Roman, and I can assure you that the footage has not been tampered with.” 

“Would've been really good for my mental health earlier, Virgil.” Logan muttered, facepalming. 

The judge looked a bit surprised at Virgil barging in like that, but regained composure. “We will reconvene after a brief recess.” he said, banging his gavel. 

Roman exhaled heavily, walking over to Logan and draping himself across him. "Are you okay?"

"Beings that court was only in session for about 30 seconds, yeah, I think I'm okay." he said. "However, I don't think that Virgil is allowed to do that."

"Well, I'm glad he did. I don't think I was breathing." he confessed. "You know what's funny about all of this, I think I dated him in highschool. Janus." 

Logan stared at him. "Are you kidding me?"

"No, now that I think about it, he was the transfer kid from Manhattan in my bio lab." he said, scratching his stubble.

"Oh, Christ, talk about a jealous ex." Logan chuckled.

"You can say that again."

"Hey, um, Lo?" 

"Yeah?" 

"You think I should say something to him? He looks like he needs someone." he said, nodding to Janus, who had undone his bowtie and was leaning on his arms at the table with a melancholy look on his face. 

Logan nodded. "You should."

And Roman would walk over, tapping his fingers on the desk. "Hey. You looked pretty bad."

"Hi. About as good as someone who's about to serve life." 

"That's the exact same thing you said to me in highschool, you know." 

_Roman snickered under his breath along with Janus as they sat outside the principal's office._

_"We should n o t have done that." Janus whispered. "Mr. Turner is gonna have burns."_

_"But it was funny as hell. He was like 'no, not that powder' and then b o o m. You looked good." Roman whispered back struggling to breathe from keeping in laughter._

_"About as good as someone who's about to serve life." He said. "Shh, shh, we're gonna get caught, stop laughing!" Janus made shushing noises and squeezed Roman's arm._

_"You shush!" he said, before the both of them were erupting in kahoots._

"I never forgot that." Janus hummed, looking to the side. "Sorry for the whole, uh, murder thing. And the framing you thing." 

"Maybe in a different universe we're married, and it's good." 

"Yeah. Still smoking?" 

"Mhm."

"You should really stop. It's not good for you." he said, brushing his hair out of his face. 

"Oh, God, you sound just like my husband." he whined. "You knew it reminds me of my dad." 

"Yeah. Your mom still here?" 

"Of course."

"June? Remus?" he asked.

"Great, and probably tending to his butchery in California."

"Maybe I'll get parole. Who knows. And in 25 years or so I'll come down and we can have rum and cigarettes. Like the old days." 

"Yeah, maybe we could. I forgive you, you know. For framing me." 

"Really? You should detest me. I was kind of hoping you'd detest me. Feelings are not my strong suit."

Roman chuckled. "No, of course I forgive you. Logan's a different story, though. Ever the mama bear." he said. "He'll come around eventually." 

He looked over to see Logan beckoning for him to come back. "I'd uh, better get back. Until we meet again, Snake Eye?" 

"Until we meet again, Princey." 

_Fin._

Chapter 16: Epilogue

Present day, Texas, 2042

"Roman, love." Logan said, head in the direction of the golden field "I just had the longest flashback." he said. He reached out and raked his hand through his husband's long grey hair. 

"Well, you were sleeping for I don't know how long. Where were you?" 

"New York, 47 years ago."

"Ah. We were so young. I could walk correctly. And your eyes worked." 

"The court case. I was remembering Janus." he said. "I think I forgive him." 

Roman chuckled. "After 47 years." 

"Well, I figured I had to sometime. Now, come help me inside. I think it's about damn time we had that damn key lime pie. The flashback just reminded me."

Fin.

Started February 2, 2020, Ended June 29, 2020

End note.

This was written for the 2020 big bang fic. I'm crying quite a bit. 


End file.
